Six LCA and openLCA Courses This Spring: Here's What We've Got On

3 months ago

Below280 is running its spring training programme across April and May 2026, covering everything from SimaPro migration and openLCA fundamentals to a four-day in-person LCA methodology course in Cramlington. Sessions run from half-day online workshops to multi-day professional training, with all openLCA courses delivered by GreenDelta certified trainers.

We have a full schedule running April through May -- from a three-hour SimaPro migration session to a four-day in-person course for people who want a deeper understanding of LCA methodology. Here's everything in one place.

The first session is on 20 April, a half-day online course for people switching from SimaPro to openLCA. Three hours on a Monday morning, practical and focused, no fluff. If you've been putting off that migration, this is the course to do it properly, rather than muddle through alone.


In May, things get busier. The 6 and 7 May are our Basic openLCA online training sessions - two afternoons for people new to the software who want a proper introduction rather than trying to figure it out from YouTube tutorials. The following week, the 13 and 14 May, is the Intermediate level for people who've been using openLCA for a while but feel like they're only scratching the surface. Both are online and run from 1 pm to 4:30 pm.


The course we'd highlight this spring is the Comprehensive LCA Training Course, 18 to 21 May, in person in Cramlington. Four full days, small group, covering ISO 14040/44 methodology with hands-on openLCA modelling throughout. We keep numbers small deliberately -- there's a real difference between watching someone build an LCA and building one yourself, with someone there to catch your mistakes before they become habits.


Then, on 26 May, we're in Birmingham for a one-day LCA Professional course. This course is for people who work with LCA results without running studies themselves. It's for sustainability managers, procurement teams, and anyone looking to grasp the basics. No software required, no prior experience assumed. Be ready to leave with an understanding of LCA theory, basic openLCA modelling, and application of LCA in both EPDs and CBAM.


The final training session of the month, on 27 and 28 May, our Advanced openLCA online training takes place. This is for practitioners who are already comfortable with the tool and want to go further: the Collaboration Server, scripting, and working cleanly across multiple databases. Two online afternoons, and it tends to draw the most experienced attendees.

All of our public openLCA courses are delivered by GreenDelta certified trainers. GreenDelta developed and maintains openLCA, and as their UK partner we’re as close to the source as it gets, which shows in how the courses are structured and the choice of topics we cover.


If you're not sure which course is right for you, or if you'd rather run a private session for your team, get in touch at info@below280.com. Full details and registration links are on our training page.


Technical Context

Demand for LCA practitioners and openLCA users is growing fast, driven by tightening requirements around EPDs in construction procurement and CBAM enforcement in EU trade. Many sustainability professionals are either new to LCA software or using it without formal training, which creates gaps in data quality and compliance confidence. This programme addresses both ends of that spectrum, from complete beginners through to advanced practitioners working with the Collaboration Server and scripted workflows.

""There's a difference between knowing how to use openLCA and knowing how to use it well. We keep our groups small because the mistakes people make early on tend to become habits, and it's much easier to catch them in the room than to unpick them six months later when someone's built a study on top of them.""

— Dr. Tom Bradley, Founder, Below280

About Below280

Below280 is a UK sustainability consultancy specialising in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Environmental Product Declarations (EPD), and CBAM compliance for manufacturers. Founded by Dr. Tom Bradley, Below280 is the UK partner for GreenDelta, the developers of openLCA. The team works with UK manufacturers to produce verified carbon data that meets regulatory requirements and supports procurement competitiveness. below280.com

→ View Full Article

layersDaily Sustainability Digest

Published about 11 hours ago



Sustainable construction has entered a phase of measurable delivery rather than distant promise. The sector shows rapid progress in reducing the carbon footprint of construction through data-driven whole life carbon assessment and lifecycle assessment frameworks that capture embodied carbon across all project stages. Decarbonised cement, low embodied carbon materials, and bio-based composites are shifting from pilot schemes to scalable deployment, validating low carbon construction materials that meet both structural and life cycle cost thresholds. Integration of carbon capture in cement kilns and new approaches to circular economy in construction point toward a viable pathway to net zero whole life carbon in heavy industry.

Policy evolution across Europe is accelerating environmental sustainability in construction, requiring transparency on embodied carbon in materials and promoting circular construction strategies. Reuse mandates and waste-management reforms, life cycle thinking in construction, and sustainable material specification are reframing procurement to value environmental product declarations (EPDs) and end-of-life reuse in construction. The UK’s tightening waste and land-use frameworks reinforce sustainable building design as regulatory expectation rather than optional commitment, anchoring green construction in compliance and measurable performance.

Legal accountability is now a structural component of sustainable building practices, with cross-border litigation shaping responsible sourcing and decarbonising the built environment. Financial institutions are aligning access to capital with verified emissions data and whole life carbon reporting, accelerating transitions toward net zero carbon buildings and carbon neutral construction portfolios.

Innovation in eco-design for buildings and sustainable architecture is proving critical to building lifecycle performance, where BREEAM and BREEAM v7 benchmarks anchor assessment of resource efficiency in construction and low-impact construction outcomes. The momentum in sustainable design signals that sustainable urban development, green infrastructure, and renewable building materials are redefining eco-friendly construction. The question is no longer whether sustainable construction can be achieved but how swiftly it can reach scale to meet global net zero carbon targets.

Show More

camera_altFeatured Instagram Posts:

Get your opinion heard:

Whole Life Carbon is a platform for the entire construction industry—both in the UK and internationally. We track the latest publications, debates, and events related to whole life guidance and sustainability. If you have any enquiries or opinions to share, please do get in touch.

Let's chat!
Avatar

WLC Assistant

Ask me about sustainability

Hi! I'm your Whole Life Carbon assistant. I can help you learn about sustainability, carbon assessment, and navigate our resources. How can I help you today?